Most people think that the holidays are over with the New Year’s celebrations.
Or when the tree is packed away, ornaments carefully wrapped to protect them from breakage during the year.
Or at 12th night celebrations, which is 12 days after Christmas, on the eve of the Epiphany.
Or when the kids go back to school after a 2-week holiday/winter/Christmas break.
Or when the credit card bills come rolling in and you swear not to overspend this year. Spoiler alert, you may or may not keep this promise to yourself.
For the operating room, the holidays are truly over in March.
Hell, for the hospitals, the holidays are truly over when the flu season ends. This is usually in the spring. But, as with all things infectious, this comes with a caveat.
Hospitals are currently having the worst flu season since 2009, so who knows when the end will be.
For the operating room, there seems to be an increase in cases. Yes, despite many, many people starting their insurance deductible over for the year.
I call the Holiday Hangover.
And it is keenly felt on the off hours.
Slips and trips and fractures.
Purulent cases. Of all sorts. Reminder, pus can collect anywhere.
Foot infections from the free-wheeling people who go off their diet at the holidays. Because what does it hurt?
Icy/wet conditions that lead to slips and trips and fractures.
New and urgent diagnoses.
There are those who want to get the deductible meeting over with so that the rest of the year and the rest of the care is free. It’s not really free but it can be heavily discounted.
It all contributes to the Holiday Hangover.
The fact that many healthcare workers are sick from the flu is icing on the cake.
Dispatches from the Evening Shift 